Christmas
by Metylizer
Summary: Juviel, a young dragon attending a Rider academy in England, doesn't exactly understand the meaning of Christmas... until her friend Zeus is able to show her.


**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone! I know this isn't exactly my best writing; I kinda crunched it out in a few hours, so I didn't have much time to edit or fix anything before passing out at 3am. As always, enjoy reading.**

 _M_

Christmastime, the time of happiness, joy, hope, merriment, and, of course, love.

Juviel, being only nine months old, her crimson scales as deep red as the day she hatched, was naturally curious about this holiday; she couldn't figure out how people could manage to forget all their troubles for the sake of a single day, but they did. And she didn't understand. She wasn't disheartened by her lack of knowledge in this area, since she hadn't experienced Christmas herself; she figured that when she did, she would finally get it.

If Christmas day were ever to come, that is.

 _'Uh… this is so boring…'_ she muttered to her best friend.

Saphira-elda had been teaching them about the basics of mating, since her class consisted of dragons her age and they were all old enough to engage in the activity. Naturally, her being a shy dragon, her scarlet eyes wandered and the white spikes on her back twitched in response to the new lesson. However, they had been learning about it for a few days now, and she was more or less used to it, even if she never tried it out; she even found herself zoning out a lot of the time, missing most of the lessons as a result.

The one she had spoken to was named Zeus, a gold-scaled male with silver eyes and wing membranes. Much like her, he was a very shy individual who loved a thoughtful conversation as opposed to small-talk; the only people she'd seen him comfortable with was her, his Rider, his blue-scaled brother, Neptune, and a few others in his very tight friends' circle, but when he was comfortable, he seemed like a completely different dragon. Such was this case.

 _'Might as well learn now instead of having to improvise on the spot,'_ he smirked.

Juviel blushed hard at this comment and snapped her gaze on him, surprised. Although she couldn't honestly say she expected any less; when he was around his friends, he didn't act too different from the school jocks, just in a friendlier manner. He cracked crude jokes loud and proud, though he always apologized if he managed to offend someone.

 _'Really, Zeus?'_ Juviel chastised.

 _'It'd be bad enough not knowing how to mate, but it'd be even worse to not know the consequences,'_ he said.

 _That_ was the Zeus she loved to talk to; the one who always made her think and point out mistakes for her own good, almost like a father figure.

 _'What's the worst that can happen?'_ Juviel challenged, preparing for another heated debate. _'I become gravid? I hope you got something better than that; it's been proven that mothering is the best way to mature for young dragons.'_

 _'Actually -'_ he started.

 _'Is there something you'd like to share with the class, young ones?'_ Saphira asked from the front of the classroom they were in. Both of their eyes widened as other dragons started laughing at them. _'Stay after class; we're going to have a little discussion.'_

 _'Yes, Saphira-elda…'_ they chorused dejectedly, their heads dipped and their eyes downcast in shame and humility.

At least it was the last class of the day.

They both listen attentively for the remainder of the lesson, though Juviel became nervous when she found she was completely lost; she had no idea what any of the terms Saphira was using meant. She would have to ask Zeus for help on this topic so she could answer every one of Saphira's questions. Thankfully, that wouldn't be until after Christmas, so she had two days to catch up with Zeus.

After about another half-hour, the dismissal bell rang, and all the students filed out, save for Juviel and Zeus, who stayed glued to their seats out of a mixture of obedience and fear.

Saphira took a look at the clock on the wall behind them and walked up to their desks, which just so happened to be in the front row.

 _'May I ask what you two were so busy talking about in the middle of my lesson?'_ she asked them.

Zeus swallowed audibly and said, _'W-we apologize, Saphira-elda… we meant no disrespect.'_

 _'I believe you, Zeus, however you still didn't answer my question.'_

Zeus's face turned as red as Juviel's at this, the red female in question biting back a laugh. Saphira turned to her, making her face fall and her eyes return to the surface of the desk.

Saphira's face softened as she said, _'I understand if what you were talking about embarrasses you. I think you, and most others, forget that I was also young, once upon a time.'_ She glanced at the clock and said, _'You two may go, but only under oath that you will not interrupt my lessons again.'_

Both of them nodded and promised to never interrupt her lessons, and she let them go. Well… she let Juviel go.

 _'Zeus, a second more of your time, if I may?'_ Saphira asked him.

Zeus looked panickingly to Juviel, who only gave a short rumble of assurance. Motivated, Zeus took a deep breath and turned back to Saphira. _'Yes, Saphira-elda?'_

By then, Juviel had exited the classroom and stepped out into the hallway, waiting for Zeus by the doorway, but when she tried to prod his mind, she found that his mental walls had completely blocked off his mind from her for the first time since he became comfortable with her presence. She was about to go back for him when he padded out with his head low, a loud blush covering his face and snout.

He almost bumped into her before she asked, _'Zeus?'_

 _'Ah! Oh, h-hey… Juviel, what's up?'_ he stuttered, trying to act casual but failing miserably.

 _'What'd she say that was so bad?'_ Juviel giggled, not noticing how Zeus's blush became deeper, if such a thing was possible.

 _'U-uh, nothing important!'_ he yelped, daring to meeting her eyes briefly before looking away just as quickly. Before Juviel could ask what was wrong again, he asked, _'A-are you doing anything tonight?'_

 _'Tonight, I have to help my Rider with a few errands,'_ Juviel replied regretfully. She picked up on how something in Zeus's eyes fell, so she quickly said, _'But I'm free tomorrow night.'_

 _'Christmas Eve?'_ Zeus asked, now meeting her gaze with one of surprise.

Taken aback by the disbelief in his voice, she asked, _'Is there something wrong with that?'_

 _'N-no, nothing at all!'_ Zeus said. _'I-I-I just figured you'd… w-wanna spend your Christmas with someone you love… like your Rider… and not some worthless male like me….'_

Juviel was shocked to see a tear drop from Zeus's cheek and onto the floor. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, his entire frame trembling. Juviel felt tears building up in her own eyes in response to seeing her best friend so distraught, so she nuzzled his neck to alleviate both of their emotional troubles.

Zeus snapped his eyes open as Juviel whispered, _'You're not worthless, Zeus… not to me.'_

Despite his flusteredness, he closed his eyes and nuzzled her back, now smiling at hearing the words coming from her. That's when he realized that she had said it in the Ancient Language.

 _'Thank you, Juviel…'_ he whispered back shakily.

He sniffled once and, as much as he didn't want to, drew back from the contact. He looked down on her with his silver eyes, since he was a head taller than her, and let her go.

She was about to say goodbye, before she realized that she had someplace to be on Christmas day as well. _'Oh, I forgot I have to go to a Christmas party tomorrow.'_ She looked at him with genuine sorrow and said, _'I'm sorry, Zeus….'_ Zeus stared at her in disbelief before he let his tail and wings sag depressingly, his eyes focusing on the floor beneath them. _'M-maybe you can come with?'_ Juviel asked.

Zeus once again snapped his gaze onto hers. _'Y-you mean I can… come with you…?'_

 _'Well sure; a lot of our schoolmates will he there anyways,'_ Juviel replied with a cute giggle.

Zeus smiled and, before he could stop himself, asked, _'What time should I pick you up?'_

Juviel giggled again at his slip-up and averted her gaze to the ground with a nervous smile, shifting her right forepaw shyly. _'I-I guess about s-seven would be fine_ she replied, sealing the deal.

Zeus smiled, oblivious to what just happened between them, and said, _'A-alright, then… s-see you tomorrow…?'_

 _'See you tomorrow,'_ Juviel confirmed.

Zeus smiled and walked past her, sparing one more glance back at her before sprinting away. Juviel stood there for a moment more before squealing like a hatchling and sprinting in the opposite direction, a smile of pure joy on her face. As she emerged from the school and took flight, she thought back to Zeus's little mistake, and how much she loved said mistake; instead of saying "meet you," Zeus had said "pick you up," which was the equivalent of asking her out on a date. That paired with the fact that she had a huge crush on Zeus, she figured the gods decided to reward her for all her hard work in her classes… besides health, but that wasn't the point! Zeus had asked her out!

She landed at her and her Rider's little apartment and burst through the door with a happy shriek, immediately making a beeline for her room, slamming the door closed with her tail and diving onto the bed, rolling around on the mattress in elation, a little quirk of hers that her Rider had picked up on when she was younger.

So when said Rider poked her blonde-topped head through the door, she knew something good had happened.

She chuckled and entered the room with, _'What's got you so excited?'_

 _'Zeus just asked me out!'_ she blurted out with a smile.

Her Rider, Samantha Bright, smiled with her blue eyes and walked over to the bed as well, sitting on the edge as Juviel stopped rolling around. She hugged the crimson dragon's neck and said, _'Atta girl, Ju-Ju.'_

Juviel closed her eyes and purred, nuzzling her Rider affectionately with the top of her head. Sam laughed and leaned back on the bed until she was lying on top of it, her legs dangling off the edge, as Juviel flopped on top of her.

Sam wheezed out a laugh and said, _'You're getting heavy. Maybe you should cut back on the steak, huh?'_

 _'Are you calling me fat?'_ Juviel growled playfully.

Before Sam could react, Juviel pinned her down and started attacking her with her tongue, leaving her poor Rider's face and hair drenched in dragon saliva.

 _'Bleugh! I told you how hard this stuff is to get out!'_ Sam scolded her.

 _'Should've thought about that before insulting a dragon,'_ Juviel countered with a smile.

 _'Oh that's it,'_ Sam threatened. _'This means war.'_

Juviel felt herself being picked up off the bed by Sam, and squealed as she fluttered her wings frantically. Now, a bit of fear had leaked into her playful mood, and she let out an instinctual cry for help as she eyed the ground beneath her. She thrashed in Sam's grip and tried to wriggle free any way she could, but found she couldn't escape her Rider's steel grip.

 _'Sam, put me down!'_ she cried.

 _'Aww, what's the matter? Having second thoughts about lathering me in your spit?'_

 _'Sam, I'm not kidding! Put me down!'_ More and more fear started to work its way into her system, and despite trusting her Rider to not drop her, she feared the fall nonetheless. She found that tears had built up in her eyes and she cried, _'Sam, please! Please, put me down, now!'_

Now sensing through their link that she wasn't kidding, Sam put her back down on the bed, the crimson dragon not hesitating to dart away as soon as her pads touched the soft fabric. The joy she felt at Zeus asking her out was now gone, and was replaced by a childish fear she often scolded herself for. She sat on the bed trembling, trying to hold back the tears that had come to her eyes, her paw over her snout in embarrassment at her Rider seeing her weak.

 _'Juviel, I'm… I'm sorry, I forgot you don't do well with being picked up…'_ Sam apologized. When Juviel didn't respond, Sam sighed and laid down so that she could wrap her arms around Juviel's neck again, which she proceeded to do. _'Hey, c'mere…'_ she whispered.

 _'Sam…'_ Juviel whimpered as she wrapped her forepaws around her Rider.

Sam held her dragon for a moment more before asking, _'Hey, tell you what… why don't we get you ready for your date?'_

Juviel sniffled and nodded. _'I… I'd like that.'_

 _'Good to hear,'_ Sam replied. _'Let's make you into the perfect female.'_

 _M_

The two spent the rest of that day planning for the party. It was the day after that they put that plan into action.

They set out early in the morning to the mall, where they bought all kinds of scale polish, nail trimmers, cherry-scented perfume, and a couple accessories, like bracers and necklaces that made certain features pop. Then, of course, came the task of getting ready by seven. They got back at around one in the afternoon, had lunch, and got started.

After five-and-a-half rigorous hours, Sam deemed her ready, even if she didn't have on any of her jewelry, though she still looked gorgeous enough to make any male drop at the sight of her.

A half-hour later, the knock sounded.

Juviel jumped up from the couch and glided to the floor, sprinting to the door and practically flinging it open. She was about to say hi to Zeus, but her mouth dropped to the floor at the sight of him. Apparently, he took the time to freshen up as well.

His golden scales shone in the streetlight, giving them the appearance of little gems implanted in his hide, and his wings, pressed neatly into his back, looked like a sea of molten silver, shimmering with a radiance previously unknown to her. She sniffed the air and caught the scent of cinnamon, her favorite flavor of food. She gawked at him for a few seconds until he greeted her.

 _'Hey, Ju…'_ he greeted shyly.

It took a second more to regain what composure she could, after which she said, _'H-h-hi, Zeus! Y-you look nice!'_

Zeus smiled bashfully as his cheeks turned slightly pink. _'Th-thanks… so do you,' he replied quietly._

Juviel ogled him for a moment before shaking her head and saying, _'W-why don't you come in? It'd be a lot w-warmer than out in the snow.'_

She moved aside to let him in, and he padded inside the warm house hesitantly, growling his thanks to her. She responded with her own growl, though she couldn't stop the lustful growl she gave when she saw how his backside muscles rippled with every step. She never noticed it before, but he was actually a very handsome male.

Sam walked over at that moment and greeted Zeus with a smile and a hug. Zeus smiled as well and hugged her back with a forepaw. Juviel didn't know what came over, but she growled at this small gesture. Sam, knowing why her dragon growled at her, broke the embrace and pulled back, exchanging a few parting words to the two before disappearing to wherever she disappeared to.

Juviel looked at Zeus, who met her gaze tentatively. _'You ready to go?'_ he asked her.

 _'Y-yeah, let's go,'_ she replied.

Zeus nodded and walked back down the hall with Juviel in tow all the way, even after they spread their wings and took flight. They flew abreast for the majority of the flight, occasionally looking down on the snow glittering in the moonlight like thousands of miniscule diamonds. When they were about to land, however, Juviel hung back so she could watch how his muscles moved under his skin with his every move.

 _'This is the place?'_ Zeus asked, eyeing the mansion.

Juviel nodded. _'Yep, this is the place.'_

They walked through the golden gates that surrounded the perimeter and on the stone path that led up the marble stairs, to the large oak double-doors, and into the expensive mansion. They took note of how many dragons and humans in expensive-looking suits were in the large room they had entered, along with waiters and waitresses carrying silver platters of the food or drinks that didn't line the long tables on the outskirts of the room and the round tables scattered across the floor, both of which bore white cloths on the top. To top it all off, there was a giant Christmas tree in the far left corner of the room, decorated with lights, ornaments, tinsel, and whatever else one would imagine a Christmas tree to have on it.

 _'Juviel!'_ called a voice from their left.

They turned to see a dragon with seafoam-green scales and a blue underbelly walking towards them, his azure eyes and wing membranes bringing out how white his claws and the spikes on his back were. He favored her with a toothy smile and a friendly nuzzle to the neck, which she gladly returned.

 _'How are you, Aqua?'_ she asked.

Now it was Zeus's turn to growl, though unlike Juviel, he knew exactly why he was growling; he was jealous and saw this male as competition, despite the context of the nuzzle.

 _'Who's your friend?'_ Aqua asked, turning to Zeus, who got his snarl under control that very instant.

 _'Zeus,'_ Juviel replied for him.

 _'Oh my god, Juviel!'_ cried another voice.

All three of them turned to see another blue-and-green dragoness like Aqua crash into Juviel and wrap her forearms around Juviel's neck.

 _'You actually came!'_ she exclaimed.

 _'Yes I did, Aura,'_ Juviel responded. _'Yes I did.'_

Aqua chuckled and said, _'Yeah, your friend actually came to your stupid party.'_

Aura whipped around and growled, _'Shove it, you overgrown hatchling.'_

 _'Not fault Mom loves me more,'_ Aqua shot back.

Aura got up and started arguing with Aqua, an obvious and stereotypical brother/sister argument, while Juviel and Zeus just watched on the sidelines. After a few minutes and a couple harsh nips, both siblings turned away from each other and faced their two guests with smiling eyes as if they hadn't been arguing just seconds ago.

 _'So why'd you decide to come?'_ Aqua asked.

Juviel smiled and said, _'I was going to anyways.'_

The two nodded and hummed before Aura turned to Zeus and asked, _'Why'd_ you _come?'_

 _'O-oh, I just… kinda tagged along…'_ he replied timidly.

 _'Nothing wrong with that,'_ Aqua said. _'Juviel tags along with me when_ I _go to my friends' parties.'_

Zeus turned to her with a questioning look, which she didn't meet. Thinking it was on purpose, he sighed and excused himself to find a drink. He weaved in and out of the crowd to a table near the edge and eyed a bottle of scotch in a bowl of ice. He grabbed it with his teeth and walked out of the room, not really having a set destination in mind.

Juviel saw this and excused herself as well to follow her golden companion. _'Zeus, wait!'_

Despite her cry, Zeus didn't stop and instead increased his pace, making his way past a few people in the halls before coming out into another even bigger room with even more people. Juviel tried to follow him, but lost him in the sea of black suits and multicolored scales.

Until she heard a gruff voice say, _'Hey, loser.'_

Juviel turned to where it came from and saw Zeus cornered by four dragons, the leader of which was a black dragon. The jocks. Juviel gasped and ducked behind a chair to spy on them.

 _'You got guts coming here,_ peasantone of them spat.

 _'A loser like you can't buy anything here,'_ another jeered.

Zeus backed up into the corner further and cowered down lower, staring back at the snarling jocks with wide eyes of fear, obviously scared out of his mind.

The black one stepped forward and said, _'We let you slide before, but we won't let you slide again. I think you're in need of a "lesson."'_

Zeus whimpered as two of the jocks grabbed him and began to drag him before Juviel jumped out and said, _'Wait!'_

The jocks stood and stared at her for a tense second, allowing Juviel the time to call Aqua and Aura, before the jocks started laughing.

 _'Why should we?'_ the black one asked.

 _'Because_ I _brought him with me!'_ Juviel yelled back frantically.

The black one stepped forward and sized her up. Juviel somehow managed to stand her ground as the black one dipped his head and looked directly into her eyes. _'Then it looks like we'll have to teach_ you _a lesson as well.'_

 _'What's going on here?'_ came Aqua's voice.

The two twins came out and looked at the jocks. Aqua stepped forward and sized up the black one, since Aqua stood a few inches taller and was a lot more muscled; it was a wonder he didn't try out for any academy teams.

The black one narrowed his eyes and said, _'We were just leaving. Good night.'_

 _'Yeah, this party sucks anyways!'_ one of them said as the jocks backed off.

Aqua stared after them for a minute before turning to the two and asking, _'You guys alright?'_

Juviel, who was being held by Aura, replied with, _'I'm fine, but I don't think I'm the one you should he asking.'_

She jerked her head at Zeus, who was standing off to the side with his head dipped low. All three of them looked at him with pity, and Aqua moved forward to comfort the younger male.

 _'Is he gonna be okay?'_ Aura asked.

 _'I don't know,'_ Juviel admitted. 'I didn't know he dealt with bullying.'

They heard Aqua saying a few words of comfort to the gold-scaled dragon before padding back to them.

When he reached them, he said to Juviel, _'He wants a few words with you.'_

Juviel nodded and looked back to her best friend, who was getting up and heading out the door. She looked back to her two friends, who only nodded reassuringly, before she padded after her. Zeus stopped at the doorway to wait up for her, so she trotted over to him and met his sad silver eyes with her own concerned scarlet eyes.

 _'Take a walk with me,'_ he said with a voice laced with melancholy.

Juviel only nodded and followed him out into the hall, not noticing how Aqua and Aura were both smiling after them. They walked directly next to each other, neither of them saying anything to each other, but both of them obviously wanting to say _something_.

After a couple more seconds of agonizing silence, they both tried to break it at the same time.

 _'You first,'_ Zeus said.

Juviel sighed and asked, _'Why didn't you tell anyone that you were getting bullied?'_

 _'I-I wanted to say sorry for that, b-but I didn't want anyone to worry about me…'_ he replied, stopping in his tracks with his head dipped down.

Like earlier, when she saw Zeus's eyes fill with tears, she felt compelled to comfort him, so she nuzzled his neck reassuringly. Unlike last time, however, Zeus let the tears run down his cheeks as he nuzzled her back, whimpering softly as his tears shone in what little light there was. He sniffled once before wailing quietly in a way that sounded almost human-like, his sorrowful cry making Juviel let out her own little whine as she held Zeus's shaking body, though it was a bit hard because he was bigger than her.

 _'D-do you wanna leave?'_ Juviel asked him shakily.

Zeus sniffled again and nodded. Juviel nodded as well and placed one of her scarlet wings over his back, bringing him closer. Zeus went rigid at the little gesture, but said nothing in protest and only padded next to her. Even walking back, he continued to sniffle and whine despite his efforts to stop doing so, refusing to lift his head out of humiliation, Juviel whispering gently to him all the while.

She walked up to Aqua and Aura and said thanks for inviting them to the party, but that they had to go.

Aqua took one look at Zeus and decided the male was in no shape to fly. 'My Rider can call a cab,' he offered. Juviel was about to decline the offer, but when a shiver passed through Zeus, she nodded and accepted.

They waited by the exit for a few minutes for the cab to arrive, Juviel growling at anyone who looked at Zeus, who was still crying, weirdly, Aqua and Aura staying respectfully silent. When the cab arrived, Juviel said goodbye and led Zeus out the door and into the cab, saying the address to her and her Rider's apartment as soon as she closed the door. When the driver saw Zeus's state, he only nodded and drove off, not saying anything throughout the entire ride, even when he dropped them off; he just gestured to the apartments with an understanding look. Juviel thanked him and guided Zeus out of the cab and through the door of her apartment.

Sam, who was sitting on the couch, was about to greet them warmly before she saw Zeus. _'Oh my god, what happened?'_ she exasperated.

 _'A couple jocks happened,'_ Juviel growled.

Sam was about to respond when she noticed something. _'Um… Ju?'_

 _'What?'_ Juviel grumbled.

 _'You… uh… hehe….'_ She pointed up with a nervous smile, hoping to lift Juviel's mood. Said dragoness looked up and would've gone completely red if her scales were any other color at what she saw.

Hanging innocently from the ceiling was a mistletoe plant.

Juviel gaped at it for a second before realizing what that meant; she would have to "kiss" Zeus. Zeus, who was still sniffling, came to the same realization, his face turning red as the blood rushed to his cheeks. They looked back at each with nervous eyes, unsure of what to do.

Until Juviel closed her eyes and licked Zeus's cheek.

Zeus's eyes widened in surprise as Juviel pulled back and looked to the ground with a timid smile. She shifted her weight and was about to say something before Zeus licked her back. She felt herself go rigid at first, but relaxed into it and leaned into him, making him stumble a bit and lose his balance, taking them both to the ground.

 _'S-sorry, I -'_ he started before noticing the rather suggestive position they had landed in.

Zeus yelped and wriggled under Juviel before she smiled and licked his cheek again, after which he grew still and relaxed. She nipped the crook of his neck before noticing a sharp smell permeating the air around them… and it was coming from directly above them.

 _'Sam?'_ she asked.

Her Rider, who was staring with wide eyes, intelligently responded with, _'Huh?'_

 _'That doesn't happen to be a real mistletoe, does it?'_ she asked, gazing up at her Rider with wide, panicked eyes, knowing full-well the effects the mistletoe plant could have on females dragons.

 _'I-it is… why?'_ Sam questioned.

Juviel was about to answer before she felt something within her awaken, and she once again licked Zeus's neck, though a lot more lecherously, earning only a confused growl in response. Not caring about their lack of understanding, she let out a lustful growl as she felt her instincts begin to take ahold of her.

 _'You might want to go out for a few hours,'_ Juviel purred.

 _'B-but this is my apartment,'_ Sam tried to reason.

Juviel growled and said, _'Should've thought about that before putting a real mistletoe up in_ our _apartment.'_

Sam stuttered for a moment before deciding it would be best for her to get out, and arguing would only make things worse for her. She didn't intend to find out just how in-tune she and her dragon were through an act like that.

 _'Al-alright, Ju… I'll just… go out for a coffee or something….'_

Sam, now with a red face, made her way to the door and opened it to see a man with cropped black hair and piercing green eyes standing out on her porch. When the door opened, he turned to her with worried eyes and a slight smile.

"Hey, did you happen to see Zeus?" he asked. "I'm his Rider."

Sam huffed and walked past him. "You might not want to touch his mind for a while, then."

"Why?" the man asked, following her.

Sam reached her car and reached in her pocket for her keys. With a look of embarrassment, she said, "I made the mistake of putting up real mistletoe in our apartment."

 _M_

 _'Ugh… my head…'_ Juviel groaned as she woke up. She tried to move and grimaced at her sore backside. _'My arse… what the hell happened?'_

Her answer came in the form of a loving nuzzle from something next to her. She looked to see Zeus sitting there with a tired but pleased look in his eyes.

 _'You alright?'_ he asked her worriedly.

Juviel groaned again as she shifted her haunches. _'Nothing too bad… what happened?'_

 _'Does this answer your question?'_ Zeus asked, licking her cheeks affectionately.

When he pulled back, he nuzzled her neck lovingly and purred, making her whole body vibrate. It was then she realized the position she was in. She was curled up with her back against his stomach, using his wing as a blanket, a strong forepaw tenderly wrapped around her abdomen, holding her in place while he showered her in affection, licking her face and neck with the occasional love nip.

He was treating her like a mate.

 _'B-but we're not…'_ Juviel started before remembering what happened before she pretty much blacked out. _'Oh… we_ are

Zeus looked almost hurt. _'D-did you not like it?'_

 _'How can I if I don't even remember what happened?'_ Juviel responded.

Zeus let out a little noise of disappointment and sadness as his eyes dropped to the soft fabric of Juviel's mattress. Juviel felt him remove his wing and unwrap his tail from her, which she didn't even realize before, as he let her go. He stood up and glided down to the ground and sat there with his head and wings drooping in sadness, his eyes refusing to lift themselves from the ground.

Juviel glided down as well and padded up to him carefully. _'Zeus, I… I didn't mean it like that,'_ she tried comfortingly.

Zeus sniffled and said, _'No, I understand… you did what you did out of instinct… it wasn't meant to be…_ we _weren't meant to be….'_

 _'Zeus, there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than you,'_ Juviel claimed before she could stop herself. Figuring there was no point in hiding it anymore, she continued with her ultimatum. _'You're caring, considerate, handsome, smart… you're all these great things, Zeus. Any female would be lucky to call herself your mate… even a worthless nobody like me…. I love you, Zeus… I have for some time now, but I was afraid that if I told you how I felt, our friendship would be ruined.'_

Zeus sighed and smiled a bit, finally lifting his eyes to meet hers. He nuzzled her, and she accepted it without complaint. _'You're not worthless… not to me…'_ he said, echoing her words from two days ago. _'I love you too, Juviel, and no matter what anyone thinks, I always will.'_

Juviel smiled and licked Zeus's cheek as they sat on the carpeted floor, just basking in each other's presence.

Juviel pulled back and said, _'So… we really are… mates….'_

 _'Yes we are, Ju,'_ Zeus replied warmly. _'Yes we are….'_

 _'Can I have some… proof…?'_ Juviel asked shyly, her face heating up at what she was asking Zeus to do.

Zeus smiled understandingly and said, _'Gladly… my mate.'_

As he let his memories flow into Juviel's mind, she was hit with a flurry of pleasurable sensations travelling throughout her hindquarters coming from an organ she knew she didn't have. She felt everything through his body, and saw everything through his eyes… how petty she looked under him, a moaning and panting mess… how her stomach bulged when Zeus finished… how satisfying it was for Zeus… how much his love for her overpowered his instincts… she felt and saw everything, and somehow gathered that last night's "activity" had cost them four hours in total.

No wonder her backside was so sore.

 _'So_ that's _why my arse is so sore,'_ she remarked, realizing that they hadn't done it the… traditional way so she didn't become gravid. _'You sly little -'_

She yelped when Zeus pinned her down, initiating a session of play-fighting that had become rather frequent between the two, despite their harbored feeling for each other. Juviel kicked him off and pinned him down in turn, but he was determined to win, so he grabbed her sides and rolled over, making them collide with the side of the mattress.

 _'Submit,'_ Juviel growled playfully.

 _'Like you did last night?'_ Zeus joked.

Juviel gasped and growled with a devilish smile. _'Oh, that's it… no mercy.'_

 _'I'm not just gonna roll over and beg for your mercy,'_ Zeus taunted, rolling her over and pinning her down.

She wriggled under him and tried to kick him off, but found that all she could move was her head and tail, so she only smiled and said, _'Fine… you win.'_

 _'What do I get for my glorious victory?'_ Zeus asked in a dramatic voice.

Juviel reached up and licked his neck. _'Me.'_

Zeus chuckled and let go of her limbs, but what she wasn't ready for was for his weight to come crashing down on top of her, pinning her once again. He nipped her neck suggestively and let out a lust-filled growl of want.

Only for a moment did his eyes soften, after which he said, _'Merry Christmas, my mate.'_

 _'Merry Christmas… my mate,'_ Juviel replied, testing those two words on her tongue.

Those two words… the words that would eventually bring her so much joy and so much excitement… the words that defined the one who would give her children one day. But that day was not today. Today was Christmas Day, which meant that they both had some presents to open up as well, though never did they think their best present would be their life-partner, be it Christmas or not. Nevertheless, Juviel thought it was Fate that brought them together last night, for now she understood what Christmas was.

Christmas was about family and love, both of which she found that very night.

 _M_

 **Just wanted to say to all my viewers, I love you all, and a special shoutout to Autocon for being especially awesome. Hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful Christmas!**


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